Lab/Shul, Storahtelling Present REBUILDING OUR SHRINES at Tribeca Performing Arts Center
By: BWW News Desk Aug. 15, 2013
It began last month with Shattered Shrines, a startlingly original, standing-room only event held in an overheated community center in the East Village on the eve of the Jewish fast day - the 9th of Av - on a day that temperatures in the city climbed to near 100 degrees.
Sweaty, thirsty and sitting shoulder-to-shoulder, an overflow, intergenerational crowd gathered to take part in the commemoration of the Jewish day of mourning through the unusual medium of music and mystical teachings. With the inspired leadership of master performance artist, mythologist and cutting edge Jewish educator Amichai Lau-Lavie, the energy in the space was palpable, spawning social media postings, articles and the attention of the local Jewish community... and beyond.
The much-talked about event marked the launch of Lab/Shul, the latest spiritual brainchild of Amichai Lau-Lavie, who has been on the cutting edge of Jewish communal life since the creation of his popular, non-profit Ritual Theater Company, Storahtelling, in 1999. For nearly 15 years, Storahtelling's programs and performances advanced Jewish literacy worldwide by bring the tools of theater and stagecraft to bear on traditional Jewish texts and stories.
The newest and most ambitious project of Storahtelling to date, "Lab/Shul seeks to redefine the role of sacred gatherings that nourish our thirst for meaning, connection, spirituality and community," Lau-Lavie said. Its formal launch follows year-long worship gatherings and brainstorm sessions.
Lab/Shul is a Jewish congregational model in the making based in NYC. According to Lau-Lavie, the Lab/Shul community is "dedicated to exploring, creating and celebrating innovative opportunities for contemplation, life cycle rituals, the arts, life-long learning and social justice."
Rabbi Irwin Kula, president of Clal - The National Jewish Center for Learning and Leadership, calls Lab/Shul "the first post-shul shul."
With weeks to go until the Jewish High Holidays are ushered in on the evening of September 4th with the start of Rosh Hashana, Lab/Shul has the public's eye trained on Rebuilding our Shrines, its worship program for the 2013 / 5774 High Holiday Season, to be held at the Tribeca Performing Arts Center.
For Rebuilding our Shrines, Lau-Lavie has put together a ritual team that includes Shira Kline, Jeremy Brown, Brian Carter, featured artist Neshama Carlebach, artists from Storahtelling, Mavens*, musical guest David Broza and Reverend Vince Anderson.
The roster of hip, popular Jewish performing artists and leaders alongside the pop-up nature of this holiday worship is hardly the event's only innovative feature. Lab/Shul has developed excellent kid-friendly programming, which draws heavily on its Storahtelling roots. It has successfully utilized Indiegogo to raise $50K to bring in initial High Holidays attendees and supporters and also allow 100 more attendees to worship for free.
The typical high cost of tickets for High Holiday services is a matter high on the Jewish communal agenda with critics alleging that it excludes potential worshippers.
Though he has served as a de facto rabbi for many years (with a devoted, global following) Lau-Lavie is also about to add the title of Rabbi to his resume as he is currently studying at the Jewish Theological Seminary in Manhattan.
Lab/Shul is the next evolution of the synagogue, liberated from one place or religious perspective," said Lau-Lavie. "The proof of its appeal is in the broad composition of our audiences. We have hipsters and hassids; kids and senior citizens. We have people of all walks of life...and those who are entirely off the path. We are everybody-friendly. We embody the true meaning of a house of worship."
Please visit http://labshul.org to find out more.
*The Maven Method, as that methodology became known, emerged as the organizing principle for Storahtelling's future activities, and turned it from a theater troupe into a professional education and training institute. The Maven Method draws from the ancient tradition of Torah reading alternating with a translation in the local language. Storahtelling Mavens learn to translate not just the words of the Torah, but also the social and historical contexts of the stories of the Torah into contemporary terms.
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